MX23RW : Tuesday, June 11 19:29:22| >> :600:276077:276077:

The key talking points ahead of England's Nations League play-off

The key talking points ahead of England's Nations League play-off
© Reuters
Gareth Southgate's men face Switzerland in Guimaraes on Sunday.

England face Switzerland in the Nations League third-place play-off on Sunday afternoon.

The Three Lions were beaten by Holland in extra-time on Thursday night to miss out on a place in the final, while Switzerland fell to hosts Portugal.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at some of the talking points ahead of England’s final game of the season.

Always the bridesmaid….

Gareth Southgate and his players applaud the crowd after losing the World Cup third-place play-off match against Belgium last summer
Gareth Southgate and his players applaud the crowd after losing the World Cup third-place play-off match against Belgium last summer (Aaron Chown/PA)

For the second summer in a row England will participate for the honour of finishing third rather than competing for a trophy.

They were beaten by Croatia in the semi-final of last summer’s World Cup before losing to Belgium 2-0 in St Petersburg.

Gareth Southgate made five changes for that game and is likely to shuffle his pack again here, with most eyes focused on the later kick-off for the final in Porto.

With the inaugural Nations League not carrying the same weight as a World Cup, the game is likely to be sparsely attended with some England fans either opting to watch the final or even fly home early.

…..but third is the word for Southgate

Southgate wants to give England's fans a lift
Southgate wants to give England’s fans a lift (Mike Egerton/PA)

While some may question if a third-place play-off in a four-team finals is strictly necessary, Southgate is keen for England to end their Nations League campaign on a high.

Asked at his pre-match press conference how he lifted his players for the game, he replied: “Very simple. We lost an important game on Thursday.

“We’ve got thousands of fans here and we need to make sure our performance gives something back, that we finish the season in the right manner.”

Premier League stars to take lead roles for Swiss

View this post on Instagram

🏆🥇😍❤️🔴 #6 #YNWA #XS23

A post shared by XS (@shaqirixherdan) on

The Switzerland squad is not loaded with names that will be overly familiar to supporters watching at home – but they do have a Champions League winner and a Europa League finalist among their ranks.

Xherdan Shaqiri of Liverpool and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka are two of the key men for the Swiss, with both no doubt wanting to put in better performances than in the defeat to Portugal.

Xhaka gave away the ball in the build-up to Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick goal while Shaqiri conceded celebrating Liverpool’s European Cup win impacted on his own display.

Stick with Stones?

John Stones' inclusion against the Swiss is uncertain
John Stones’ inclusion against the Swiss is uncertain (Mike Egerton/PA)

John Stones made an awful blunder as he was caught in possession on the edge of his own box by Memphis Depay, a mistake which gifted Holland the lead for the first time in their semi-final clash on Thursday.

The Manchester City defender looked dejected at the time and when the final whistle blew he was consoled by team-mates and backed by Southgate in his post-match press conference.

It remains to be seen if Stones will be taken out of the firing line against the Swiss or given a chance to get the mistake out of his system before heading off on his summer break – with the likes of Michael Keane and Joe Gomez waiting in the wings.

Will Wilson be given his chance to shine?

Callum Wilson celebrates his goal in England's win over the United States
Callum Wilson celebrates his goal in England’s win over the United States (Nick Potts/PA)

With fellow strikers Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford struggling to be fully fit, Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson could be in line for his second international start.

He scored on his debut in the 3-0 friendly victory over the United States and may get the nod ahead of his more established team-mates.

Kane only just returned from a seven-week injury lay-off and played Tottenham’s Champions League final defeat and 75 minutes against Holland, while Rashford was replaced at half-time against the Dutch with an injury which could see him miss out on Sunday.

Share this article now:

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
/esi/758/0/index.html - esi:0:site:0:-p-: {0}: - :T758:-: {0}: < ! - - T  758 {0} - - >  : 
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38322495237298
2Liverpool38307189226797
3Chelsea38219863392472
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs382321367392871
5Arsenal382171073512270
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd381991065541166
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38169134746157
8Everton38159145446854
9Leicester CityLeicester38157165148352
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham38157165255-352
11Watford38148165259-750
12Crystal Palace38147175153-249
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle38129174248-645
14Bournemouth38136195670-1445
15Burnley38117204568-2340
16Southampton38912174565-2039
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton3899203560-2536
RCardiff CityCardiff38104243469-3534
RFulham3875263481-4726
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield3837282276-5416

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Login, I already have my ad-free pass
Log in to customise Sports Mole
Buy ad-free access (show me the options)
Buy monthly ad-free access for £1.20/month
Buy yearly ad-free access for £12 (2 months free)
Settings - Logout - Manage your account
Settings - Logout - Manage your account